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Dr.
Patrick J. Rousche's Research Interest |
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| The human brain, with its artful design and
awesome computational power, could be the greatest engineering
'achievement' of modern times. As a neural systems engineer,
I use the brain as an inspiration and as a research focus. My
career research goals are twofold: 1) to apply Bio-MEMS (biological
electro-micro-mechanical systems) and neural tissue engineering
technologies toward the interdisciplinary development of advanced
long-term neural interfaces, and 2) to use those interfaces
in both basic science and applied clinical research to develop
neuroprosthetic systems that may someday aid deaf, blind, or
paralyzed patients and to develop interventional strategies
that might aid patients with neural diseases such as stroke
and epilepsy.
Advanced neural interfaces capable of stable, long-term, high
performance are essential tools for the study of the brain and
the subsequent development of neuroprosthetic/neuromodulatory
systems for human use. My overall research goals for the future
are built on the foundation of my interdisciplinary research
training in both basic and applied neural engineering. My work
can be generally classified in 3 major areas"
The improvement in design and function of 'future-generation'
multi-channel neural interfaces.
What are the failure modes of current implantable electrode
systems for the brain? Will the novel application of emerging
BIO-MEMS nanotechnologies such as ion beam processing allow
for the creation of neural interfaces that perform better and
last longer than currently-used traditional devices? What biological
strategies can be employed to create structures that seamlessly
integrate with nervous tissue? I address these questions in
vitro, and subsequently in vivo through an interdisciplinary
effort involving material scientists, neural, tissue, and electrical
engineers, neurobiologists and neurosurgeons. Ultimately, we
hope that new neural interface structures can be tested clinically
in humans.
 
Multi-channel neural recording and electrical stimulation in
brain sensory areas.
How does a given set of neurons cooperate to represent a given
sensory stimulus and how do these representations change over
time? (cortical plasticity) What is the maximum information
transfer rate achievable through patterned multi-channel electrical
stimulation for a given number of implanted electrodes in the
trained rat? Can this rate improve over time? What is the mechanicsm
of electrtical stimulation for improving recovery in sroke patients?
By exploring the relationship between multi-channel stimulation
and recording among the same population of neurons in sensory
cortex, I will explore sensory neural coding and generate critical
supporting data for the development/enhancement of human cortical
neural interface systems for prosthetics and neuromodulation.
 
Feasibility studies for a cortical neuroprosthesis system in
human subjects.
How reliable is the frequency representation (or tonotopic map)
in auditory cortex of humans? What are the perceptual effects
of multi-channel ICMS in humans and what are the safest and
most optimal stimulus parameters? What is the minimum electrode
spacing and hence the maximum electrode density and number usable
in a human neuroprosthetic system? These experiments require
the assembly of a clinical neurosurgery and electrophysiology
team. Intra-operative or short-term neural implants and recording/stimulation
studies in selected awake human subjects will provide a wealth
of additional feasibility data for a cortical neuroprosthesis.
Although this overall research plan is rooted in animal work,
each and every experiment is designed with the ultimate goal
of developing a brain implant system suitable for human use.
A successful human cortical neuroprosthesis has the potential
to greatly improve quality of life of not only the deaf, blind,
or paralyzed, but could eventually be applied to patients suffering
from many other brain-based disorders. My own experience with
partial hearing loss provides a driving force to help others
through my research. Thanks to the popular press and the media,
the general public is ever more knowledgeable and primed for
brain-based medical advances and research. This is an exciting
and opportune time to be a neural engineer. I enjoy running
an active, dynamic and interdisciplinary neural engineering
laboratory in a stimulating and supporting academic environment.
Please email me for more information: rousche@uic.edu
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